Vancouver make Boxall first Supplemental pick

NEW YORK – The Vancouver Whitcaps made Michael Boxall the first pick
of the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft on Wednesday. The defender from UC
Santa Barbara participated in the Player Combine held in Fort
Lauderdale, Fla., last week.

Boxall was one of two New Zealanders taken with the first three picks. The LA Galaxy drafted midfielder
Daniel Keat, another Combine player who was previously signed to an MLS
contract. Bruce Arena's team also took Dax McCarty's younger brother,
Dustin McCarty, as well as a goalkeeper -- West Virginia's Zach
Johnson.

In addition to Johnson there were seven goalkeepers taken in the Supplemental Draft, including the remaining netminders who participated in the Player Combine but went unselected in the SuperDraft. Most MLS teams are expected to feature three goalkeepers on their 30-man expanded rosters in 2011.

Another famous sibling was selected by Vancouver with the first pick of the third round. Santiago Bedoya, brother of US national team midfielder Alejandro Bedoya, was selected by the Whitecaps from Northeastern University. JC Banks, son of 1990 US World Cup defender Jimmy Banks, was drafted by Toronto FC.

There were a few lesser known college that were on the FC Dallas radar. Schellas Hyndman and Barry Gorman had picks from Embry Riddle University (Alexis Pradie, 15th overall) and Schoolcraft College (Paul Ogunyemi, 17th overall). Toronto FC also selected midfielder Scott Rojo from High Point University and Irishman Steven Beattie, who featured in the Player Combine and played for Division II school Northern Kentucky.

The University of South Carolina and University of California-Irvine led the way with three selections in the Supplemental Draft.

The 2011 Supplemental Draft consisted of three rounds,
with Vancouver holding the top pick in each round. The Whitecaps also
made Omar Salgado the first pick of the 2011 SuperDraft last Thursday in
Baltimore ahead of their first season in the league.